600GBP / 600USD / 700EUR – The Light Brigade (Ryzen)

Description

The Light Brigade is a gaming build around the 600 GBP/USD level, that can provide great 1080p performance on e-sport games and decent 1080p performance in mainstream games. It can also tackle AAA titles, but in those cases you will need to tweak the settings down until you get a decent level of performance.

Most of the configuration comes from parametric filters, with only the CPU being pre-selected. This allows this guide to provide the best prices available at any given time.

The parametric list for this build is available at PCPartPicker.com – The Light Brigade (Ryzen).

CPU: Ryzen5 1400

The CPU is the Ryzen5 1400. With 4 cores and 8 threads it has the computational equivalent of an i7 processor, even though the frequences are below those of Intel CPUs. With new games taking more and more advantage of the existing cores, this CPU should allow good performance in the near future.

This CPU comes with a great stock cooler, therefore there is no need to buy one from a third party.

Motherboard: B350 chipset, 4 RAM slots

The filter for this component is making the selection out of the boards featuring B350 chipsets. The only extra parameter is to have at least 4 RAM slots. This is enough to raise the bar enough that the selected board has enough extra features to allow later upgrades of the CPU to a Ryzen 5 1600 or even a Ryzen 7.

RAM: 16GB DDR4

16GB of memory is becoming the new norm today. The filter picks the cheapest 2x8GB kit available at the moment. You can purchase a second kit at a later time and add it in the extra RAM slots the motherboard provides.

Storage: 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD 7200rpm

No decent PC built today should be without an SSD. It allows way faster boot and program loading times. The filter is set for a minimum of a 100GB, allowing enough space for Windows, your programs and even a few games.

For the rest of our storage needs, the filter provides us with the cheapest 1TB 7200rpm HDD available. While something of a smaller size can be found, the price difference is not making out for the loss of space.

Video Card: GTX 1050Ti

The Light Brigade is armed with an nVidia GTX 1050Ti. The mix of good performance and low power consumption makes this a great choice. AMD cards can be taken into consideration once they become available again.

Case / PSU

I’m going for the cheapest possible case and a PSU of at least 400W and 80+ efficiency. I rely on the compatibility filter to make sure all components fit inside the case.

Trivia

The name comes from the “Charge of the Light Brigade” by Lord Tennyson:

“Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.”